Involvement in (the Information) Society - The Joensuu Community Resource Centre Netcafé

• Published in: New Media & Society
• Main Author: Uotinen, Johanna
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: SAGE Publications 2003
• Subjects: karelia*
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/14614448030053003; https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/14614448030053003

Finland is said to be at the forefront of information society development. However, the rhetoric has been deterministic, presenting an inevitable phenomenon to which all citizens have to adapt. There has been a tendency to ignore all social, regional and local differences. The province of North Karelia aspires to be a more citizen-oriented information society. The Joensuu Community Resource Centre (CRC) Netcafé is a place which provides the opportunity (but not the necessity) for spontaneous involvement and participation in (the information) society. It creates space for local interpretations and views about information society and technology. The research is based on a questionnaire and interviews. When information technology is combined with the CRC's various other activities, it cannot be an independent, self-governed phenomenon. The CRC provides a context that allows a sense of proportion to develop in relation to information technology and the rhetoric of information society strategy.